Falling In Love With "Girls" - Weirdoes Need Girlfriends Too

So, "Girls" has taken a more serious turn these past few weeks. Not as quotable as earlier episodes, it still dazzles with its intelligent look at the "Me-Me" generation.

Since Adam and Hannah’s fight that turned them into a couple, they are now practically living together and having lots of sex in her apartment much to the chagrin of Marnie who spends her days on Facebook stalking Charlie and his new girlfriend while listening to Demi Lovato songs. Adam continues to show his multi-faceted character by being very sympathetic to Marnie over her inability to get over her four-year relationship with a guy she wasn’t satisfied with in the first place. When Hannah tried to make her brush it off (as that generation likes to do because then it leaves more "me" time) he tells her not to "diminish" her pain. Marnie is clearly stunned by this - in a good way - but still thinks he’s weird as does Jessa who describes him as someone who would "totally masturbate in front of anybody." (Little do they know.)

Meanwhile, Adam is in a play that (I wasn’t clear) he’s partly written or is just acting in. But when the director/creator starts adding in things that Adam doesn’t think are necessary, he freaks out in his usual "I desperately need anger management" way. He ends up quitting, which disturbs Hannah, although not as much as when he goes off on the driver of a car that almost hits them as they start to cross the street.

Clearly this boy has issues as this isn’t the first time he’s gone off on someone - and won’t be the last. So it’s interesting to see Hannah stand by him and sometimes even make excuses for his behavior, when sure, he’s got a lot of great qualities - but this is kind of a big, bold, frantically waving red flag. Speaking of red flags: Adam also thinks it’s funny to pee on Hannah in the shower. While knowing Adam like we do, when he admits he thought she would think it’s funny, I figure he really would think that. But still... it’s kind of disturbing....and kind of gross. He is one complex weirdo.

As we check in on Jessa and Marnie, the two begin to bond - something they’ve never really spent time doing in a while. Upon reflection, Marnie realizes she’s super uptight and she hates it. So she makes a deal with herself to open up and relax more. This occurs when they go to a bar and meet Thomas John ("Bridesmaids" Chris O’Dowd) who takes them home hoping for a three-way. Marnie is charmed by him. (Or she’s forcing herself to be careful and charmed.) Jessa, however, isn’t very fond of him and is pretty obvious about her distaste. This leads to an overt overture and a moment of Jessa and Marnie making out to titillate him. This is something a bit out of character for Marnie, but I get her desperation to be not so prudish. And she had been drinking.

I loved the end of the episode where Adam makes up for his street freak-out by posting signs that say "SORRY" on them in hopes the driver will see it. The fact that this wasn’t the issue that most concerned Hannah, but for which he knew he had to make amends - is telling. Again, dude clearly has issues. But he also admits them. I’m not sure whether he’s just a great guy loaded with strange behaviors, or he’s a nut job on the brink of snapping. Time will tell...

EPISODE 9: "Leave Me Alone"

So this week, poor starving artist Hannah (who I haven’t seen writing ANYTHING since the show began, which is pretty damn realistic for those of us in the writing biz) is invited to the big New York book party for an author with whom she took classes in college, someone she thinks sucks as a writer. But here she is with a bestselling book, a big elite party, and the ego to go with it.

At the party, Hannah runs into her old writing professor Paulo Goldman (Michael Imperioli) who invites her to a writing group to read one of her essays aloud. Of course, as Hannah usually does, she chooses an essay (about a date she had with a hoarder) only to decide at the last minute to write something about death because, she assumes, death is a more mature topic that would trump something hilarious and offbeat. It doesn’t go over well. Lesson learned.

Over in the world of Jessa, she ends up getting a surprise visit from Katherine - the mother of the kids for whom she used to babysit before it seemed that she was getting too close to the husband.

Let me comment here: This felt weird. One of my few complaints about the show is that things keep happening off-camera that really need to take place ON camera. We never really saw Jessa get fired from the job, nor did we see Katherine’s overt jealousy at what may or may not be going on with Jessa and her husband. I felt as though I had missed an episode. This happens again in the season finale when the "surprise" of that episode is such a surprise you’ll think you missed a month’s worth of shows.

Anyway, Katherine asks her back, but Jessa says no. Before she leaves, Katherine does impart some wisdom that at first Jessa seems reluctant to hear, but we can see clearly hits home. She says that she feels Jessa uses her way of getting between people as a way to create drama in order to distract herself from spending time on becoming the person she wants to be. Indeed.

In the end, the theme of "Girls" is replayed and causes trouble between Marnie and Hannah. That theme is selfishness, self-centeredness, and entitlement because, for some reason, Hannah’s generation can’t stop talking about themselves. Even when they think they have friends who are there to listen, they forget that they need to reciprocate. As for Marnie, she’s had enough. Not only has she helped Hannah out financially, but she also has had to listen to her complain and commiserate about her life on a daily basis. (Marnie does it too, but no one is quite as expert about it as Hannah.) Because of this, Marnie lets her have it and this time, doesn’t back down to the point where she tells her she’s moving out and moving on. "I’m done."

How this will change them will be an interesting switch to the dynamic.

Kevin Taft is a screenwriter/critic living in Los Angeles with an unnatural attachment to ’Star Wars’ and the desire to be adopted by Steven Spielberg. He can be seen in the flesh on the weekly PBS movie review series "Just Seen It."